Heart Care

Peripheral Artery Disease Treatment Improved

A new approach to clearing plaque from arteries is helping doctors treat patients who require a procedure called balloon angioplasty.

Balloon angioplasty is among the standard treatments for peripheral artery disease (PAD). In the U.S., about 8 million people have peripheral artery disease, and about half have no symptoms.

PAD is frequently found in people with coronary artery disease because atherosclerosis, which causes coronary artery disease, is a widespread disease of the arteries.

Disease requires careful management

In PAD, plaque reduces the amount of blood flow to the limbs and decreases the oxygen and nutrients available to the tissue.

Symptoms include painful cramping in the hips, thighs, or calves when walking, climbing stairs, or exercising.

To correct this problem, a doctor inserts a catheter into an artery and guides it to the blockage, then opens the artery by inflating a balloon at the tip of the catheter.

The doctor typically uses a stent to keep the artery open. A stent is a tiny metal “scaffold” that is left open inside the artery to it from reclosing.

Inflating the balloon can knock loose particles of plaque, which travel down the leg. A large particle can block blood flow, a condition called distal embolization. In the most severe cases, distal embolizations can require leg amputation or even be fatal.

Some doctors have used a filter device to prevent debris from escaping, but using this filter isn't yet approved by the FDA.

New device increases safety for patient

The new report shows that the device that was studied opens the artery just like a standard angioplasty balloon.

After the artery is opened, the doctor deflates the balloon. The negative pressure sucks up the debris, which is trapped inside as the balloon retracts.

Researchers report their findings in the medical journal Endovascular Today.

In two clinical trials totaling 123 patients, the device had a success rate of 97 to 99 percent and consistently outperformed filter devices typically used to capture debris particles, report the study authors.

Robert Dieter, M.D., of the Loyola University Health System, and Dr. Aravinda Nanjundappa, M.D., of West Virginia University, say they expect to see a shift by doctors to using this new method now that it has been approved by the FDA.

Always talk with your doctor to find out more information.

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